1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an amusement ride and more particularly, a multidirectional amusement device for raising a passenger vehicle into the air and permitting a limited free fall experience when the vehicle is released into a horizontal and vertical translation through a vector rotation.
2. Technical Background
Amusement park thrill seekers are no longer satisfied with the rides and roller coasters of the past. Owners of amusement parks and fun centers are increasingly upgrading their attractions to create a higher thrill level and more intense ride experience for their patrons. One way to increase the thrill of a ride is to add a xe2x80x9cfree fallxe2x80x9d element to the ride or attraction. Some have attempted to do this with the use of bungee cords. However, repeated stretching of a bungee cord may break down the cord such that it performs at dangerous levels. Other rides may include parachute drops or other types of drops coupled with complex deceleration devices such as hydraulic brakes or friction breaking systems. These high tech breaking devices are quite complex and costly and require constant and vigilant maintenance to guard against fatal accidents.
One attraction that provides the illusion of free fall is the giant swing. Giant swings do not require complex breaking devices, and they can utilize cables that do not stretch and that are more predictable. One such giant swing device is taught in Kitchen U.S. Pat. No. 5,931,740. In the Kitchen patent however, each rider is only permitted to face in one direction during the flight of the swing, which reduces the amount of thrill factor involved in the ride. Further, the release mechanism must be manually operated. Other giant swing attractions are not efficiently raised and lowered and thus, can only accommodate lower numbers of patrons over a fixed period of time. This increases the cost of the ride. Still other giant swing devices have questionable safety systems for protecting ride patrons.
Accordingly, it would be an advancement in the art to provide an amusement device that allows the rider to safely rotate while moving in a multitude of directions. It would be a further advancement to provide such a device that maximizes the free fall element of the ride. It would be yet another advancement in the art to provide such an device that can efficiently accommodate larger number of riders. It would be yet another advancement in the art to provide such a device that has improved safety features. Such an amusement device is disclosed and claimed herein.
The apparatus of the present invention has been developed in response to the present state of the art, and in particular, in response to the problems and needs in the art that have not yet been fully solved by currently available swing devices. Thus, it is an overall objective of the present invention to provide a novel multidirectional amusement pendulum device that is efficiently operated, safe, and yet maximizes the thrill factor of the system.
To achieve the foregoing advantages and objectives, and in accordance with the invention as embodied and broadly described herein in the preferred embodiment, a novel multidirectional amusement device is provided. The amusement device may include one or more support structures or towers extending above a support surface such as a parking lot, tarmac, or other ground surface. A ride vehicle is attached with support lines or cables to the support towers in such a way as to allow the ride vehicle to move back and forth beneath the support towers in a horizontal and vertical translation through a vector rotation. In one embodiment, multiple support lines are attached at a first end to the support structure and at a second end to the ride vehicle. The support lines may also be attached to each other at spaced intervals which prevents a broken support line from falling to the ground and injuring someone.
A retraction tower may reel in a tow line connected to the ride vehicle. As the ride vehicle is pulled up toward the retraction tower, a release mechanism secured to the tow line interacts with a stop attached to the retraction tower. The release mechanism may include a lever positioned such that when the lever engages the stop, the lever pivots, disengaging the ride vehicle from the release mechanism and allowing the ride vehicle to move downward under the force of gravity. The ride vehicle moves through a horizontal and vertical translation by vector rotation until it comes to a stop beneath the support structure.
In one embodiment, the tow line may be secured at a first end to the support structure or to a tether positioned between multiple support structures. A second end engages the retraction tower and in one preferred embodiment, a winch in the retraction tower. The release mechanism may be secured to the tow line between the first end and the second end such that when the ride vehicle is at rest beneath the support structure, the release mechanism hangs beneath the support structure adjacent the ride vehicle. The release structure may include a weight to allow the release mechanism to return to a position adjacent the ride vehicle beneath the support structure under the force of gravity. This allows for more efficient loading of the amusement device because the release mechanism is returned to a convenient position.
The ride vehicle may include an attachment portion to which the support lines are attached. A rider platform may be rotatably attached to the attachment portion at a connection point. The platform may be attached to a central post at one end, with the opposing end of the central post rotatably attached to the attachment portion. With the platform rotatably connected to the attachment portion, riders in seats attached to the platform are allowed to rotate and travel through a horizontal and vertical translation by a vector rotation. In one embodiment the platform is symmetrical about the control post which allows for smooth rotation of the platform. The ride vehicle may also include a fail-safe member positioned about the connection point. The fail-safe member may include a first end secured to the attachment portion. A second end may be configured to engage the central post below the connection point. Accordingly, the fail-safe member provides a redundant connection which provides safety in the event the pivotal connection between the attachment portion and the rider platform fails.
The platform 40 of the ride vehicle may include a handle 41 for anchoring the ride vehicle. The handle 41 is configured to act as a breaking device. A brake cable (not shown) may be automatically or manually affixed to the handle 41. It will be appreciated that the handle 41 may be positioned at various positions on the ride vehicle 14 to accomplish this braking function. Additionally, the handle may be configured in a variety of ways to allow the ride operator or a mechanical device to latch onto the ride vehicle 14 toward the end of its pendulum motion. One such configuration may include a hook, a latch and the like.
In one embodiment, a coupling bar having a first end is pivotally secured to the attachment portion of the ride vehicle. A second end may extend outwardly from the ride vehicle a distance of greater than about one foot. The second end may be configured to releasably engage the release mechanism. In this configuration the coupling bar may be used to position the ride vehicle at an angle just prior to release which facilitates an increased rocking motion and gyro motion.
The support structures may include slots or other mechanisms which would allow the first ends of the support wires to movably engage the support structures. This allows the shape of the ride motion to change and can, with proper timing, create an increased free fall sensation.
Accordingly, the amusement device of the present invention provides a giant multidirectional amusement device that allows the rider to safely rotate, and rock back and forth while moving through a horizontal and vertical translation by a vector rotation. It also maximizes the free fall element of the ride while efficiently accommodating larger number of riders because the release mechanism returns to the loading area of the amusement device. The ride device also provides improved safety features.
These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter.